Gate-valve indicator.



Patented Oct. 8, 190i.

w. A. BHATHAM. GATE VALVE INDICATOR.

(Application filed Feb, 21, 1901.)

(No Model.)

WITWESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. CHATHAM, OF BEEBETOWN, OHIO.

GATE-VALVE INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 684,191, dated ember 8,1901. Application filed February 21,1901. Serial No. 48,244. (No model.)

To [0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. CHATHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Beebetown, in the county of Medina, State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate-Valve Indicators;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference markedthereon, which form a partof this specification.

This invention relates to an indicator for gate-valves; and it consistsin the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully setforth, and pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means forindicating at all times the exact position of the valve, so as to enablethe operator to determine whether the valve is open or closed and ifopen the degree of the opening. The above object is attained by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 isan enlarged sectional View through a gate-valve involving my invention.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section as on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is adetail in elevation of a portion of the valve-case and the indicatorcasesurrounding the valve-stem. Fig. 4 is a detail in section through thethreaded sleeve, which is splined to the valve-stem. Fig. 5 is a planView of the threaded nut having the indicating-point. Fig. 6 is asection on line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the valve-case ofa gate-valve of the character to which my invention is applicable, saidvalve-case having the straightway openingfZ/the valve-seat 3, and thevalvedisks at, adapted to close said opening and bear upon said seat.The valve-ste1n5 is provided with a screw-thread 6 at its lower endandis adapted to have a threaded engagement with the valve-disks,whereby said disks are raised and lowered to open and close the valve bya rotation of the valve-stem in a manner well understood in the art. Thevalve-stem is provided with a collar 7, having a bearing in the case andupon which said stem is adapt ed to rotate, being held in place by thepacking-ring 8, which surrounds the valve-stem and rests upon the case,said ring being concaved to receive the packing 9, which lies thereinaround the valve-stem and is confined in place by the gland 10, throughwhich pass the bolts 11 into the valve-case, said bolts receiving thenuts 12 upon their upper ends, whereby the requisite pressure is exertedupon the gland to prevent any leak around the valve-stem. The upper endof the valve stem is made square, as at 12 to allow the application of awrench or hand-wheel for operating the valve.

Fitting closely upon the upper end of the valve-stem is a sleeve 13,which rests upon a thin washer let, lying upon the gland 10. Theexterior of the sleeve 13 is provided with a suitable thread 15. It isdesirable that said sleeve 13 shall rotate with the valve-stem 5, and tocause said parts to turn in unison the sleeve is provided with aninwardly-projecting lug 16, formed on the upper end thereof, whichprojects inwardly and is adapted to lie in the keyway 17 in saidvalve-stem,whereby said sleeve may be slipped over the end of thevalve-stem and when in position is caused to rotate therewith. Adaptedto screw onto the sleeve 13 is a collar 18, provided with an extension19, carrying at its outer end a pointer 20. The sleeve 13 and the nut 18are embraced and confined within a housing or case 21, having an openingthrough its top, through which the valve-stem is adapted to pass, andhaving a vertical slot 22 in the side thereof, through which theextension 19 on the nut 18 protrudes, so that the indicating-point 20 onsaid projection will stand adjacent to a scale 23, (see Fig. 3,) markedon the case 21, adjacent to the slot 22. The case 21 is provided with alaterally-extending flange 24 at the base thereof,which rests upon thegland 10 and through which the gland-bolts pass, the nuts 12 of saidboltconfining said case in position and the aperture in the top of saidcase which embraces the valve-stem holding said case centrally in place.It will be understood that the relative number and pitch of the threadsupon the valve-stem 5 and the sleeve 13 determine the comparativemovement of the valve-disks and pointer 20, the

arrangement in all cases being such that a rotation of the stem to movethe valve-disks a certain distance will also cause the nut 13 upon thethreaded collar to move a corresponding distance, so that the pointer 20will indicate the exact position of the valve.

In theoperation of the device as the valvestem is rotated the sleeve 13,turning therewith, will cause the threads thereon to turn. within thenut 18, which is held from rotation by reason of the extension 19 ofsaid nut lying in the slot 22 of the case 21, whereby as the valve isopened and closed said nut will be caused to rise and fall and, throughthe medium of the pointer 20, indicate the position of the valve, bywhich means no mistake as to the position of the valve can be made, asthe reading on the scale will show such position at a glance, obviatingthe damage'which sometimes results in high-pressurepipe systems of amistake in the manipulation of the valve controlling the fluid-pressuretherein. By securing the case 21 in position with the gland-nuts saidcase may be adjusted so as to cause the dial to face in any desireddirection, and by mounting said case and the threaded sleeve upon thegland itself there can be no variation between the indicator and thescale upon the sleeve through any change in the vertical position of thegland.

In applying this device to different styles of valves a variation fromthe arrangement herein shown may be made without departing from thespirit of my invention.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a valve having a rotary stem, a thread upon saidstem, a nut or collar adapted to screw onto said thread, said nut-beingheld from rotation, but adapted to travel vertically as the stem isrotated,- an indicating-pointer,projecting from said nut and a scaleadjacent to said pointer.

2. In a valve, the combination of a rotary valve-stem,a threaded sleeveupon said valvestem adapted to rotate therewith and to movelongitudinally thereon, a threaded nut adapted to screw onto saidsleeve, said nut having a projection carrying an indicating-pointer, acase embracing said sleeve and nut and having a vertical slot in whichthe projection on said nut lies, said case having a scale thereonadjacent to said slot adapted to be traversed by said pointer.

3. In a valve, the combination of a rotary valve-stem, a stuffing-boxaround said valve= stem, a gland for securing the packing in saidstuffingbox, a threaded sleeve adapted to slide upon the valvestem andto rotate e therewith, said sleeve supported by said gland, a nut orthreaded collar upon said sleeve having a lateral projection carrying a'V embracing said sleeve and nut or collar, said 1 pointer, a casemounted upon said gland and

